The Terminal

Inspired by the true story of an Iranian man stranded at Paris airport after the fall of the Shah, but starring Hanks and re-set in the John F Kennedy Airport of present-day New York, Spielberg's smug movie misfire substitutes quirky characters, feel-good humour and emotional manipulation for the rich comic tapestry of real life. Only the genuinely funny, always believable Hanks emerges unscathed.